In "Our Posthuman Future", Mr. Fukuyama, is not so much concerned with what Genetic Engineering has done for us in the realm of agriculture. He is more worried about its implications for humanity itself. He argues that genetic engineering of humans might affect the very nature of humanness itself.

To help us to understand how changes in the genetic pool could affect mankind he dives into an explanation of the effects of various neuropharmacological drugs. These drugs act upon the human system in ways that control certain genetic predispositions. The most vivid description involves the drug, Prozac. Prozac acts upon the brain in a way to lessen feelings of stress over failure. It gives the kind of high that a human feels when he has accomplished some difficult project.

Should Prozac be used inappropriately, it might suppress normal ambitions. If all someone needs is a pill to feel like they have just mowed their lawn or invented a new mouse trap or built a bridge, then that someone, perhaps most someones, might choose the easy pill, rather than the tough road of contributing to society.

Imagine now that we could genetically engineer a perpetual sense of satisfaction into every human being that was born after a certain date. What would that mean for the future? It is highly unlikely that this particular scenario would come about, but it illustrates the possibilities for the future. Other implications involve a stratified society where the rich choose embryos for offspring that are advanced both physically and intellectually, creating a rigidly stratified society where we have a Nietzschean "uberman" and others bred to be sub-human workers.

Several chapters in "Our Posthuman Future" address the philosophical ramifications of genetic engineering, especially focusing on its affect on human nature. Mr. Fukuyama explores views of human nature and its corollary, human rights. He goes on to show that an inappropriate use of genetic engineering could not merely change these views, but the very scientific basis that supports them.

What is a human and who is entitled to human rights? Mr. Fukuyama has much to say on the subject, addressing it in the context of the abortion issue and embryonic research. His conclusion is that if we can think of an embryo as less than human because it does not exhibit certain human traits that we can interpolate that to other humans who might not actually exhibit "humanness", such as older people suffering dementia, or the disabled, et al.

Until this point, the book's propositions are highly controversial (if very cogently argued). Even so, Mr. Fukuyama does not cringe from delving into even more controversy - the question of whether or not the power and danger inherent in bio-technology requires that it be regulated, and if so, how. The libertarian in me made me grit my teeth at his arguments. However, I read them through and found myself convinced that some limited regulation of the Bio-tech industry is desirable.

"Our Posthuman Future" draws a parallel between the mostly successful regulation of nuclear power. Mr. Fukuyama points out that anything so inherently powerful should have some kind of oversight. Indeed, when one considers the possibilities of genetic engineering in the wrong hands, without the moderating influence of democratic consensus, one can't help but feel that there must be some limits placed upon such controversial procedures as human cloning or the mixing of human genes with other creatures to create some strange hybrid.

In some ways it seems fantastic to be discussing such issues that were, until recently, associated with tabloid journalism and sci-fi trilogies. Nevertheless, Mr. Fukuyama convinces us of their immediacy. "Our Posthuman Future" contributes vastly to the discussion and should be read by anyone who cares to comment or contemplate the issues involved. This is a forward looking book that will inevitably be quoted as prescient, intelligent and policy forming. Very highly recommended. *****

Our Posthuman Future can be purchased at Amazon.com